Our story.
PATH started after years of working with blind and low-vision users and seeing the same problem come up again and again: everyday apps are still too visual, too slow, and too frustrating to use independently. We built PATH with the low-vision community as a voice-first assistant that helps people actually get things done, not just listen to what is on the screen. Today, PATH can help with Email and calendar workflows like reading, summarizing, searching, drafting, replying, booking meetings, and managing schedules by voice. We are starting with the tasks that matter most, then building toward a broader assistant that can help people get things done with whatever device they are on, from their phone to their fridge.
Founding team
The founding team.
Ariyan Patel
Co-founder, CEO
Ariyan leads PATH's product vision, technical strategy, and go-to-market strategy. He cares about building technology that gives blind and low-vision users more independence in the digital workflows most people take for granted. Outside of PATH, he is interested in public service, with a background in public health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, entrepreneurship, and building products from direct community feedback.
Kushal Patel
Co-founder, COO
Kushal leads PATH's operations, partnerships, user research, and community feedback strategy. He cares about building technology that is shaped directly by users, not assumptions made about them. His work spans venture capital, public health, rural health equity, and applied AI, which informs his focus on ethical entrepreneurship and building products that reach marginalized communities. Outside of PATH, he is interested in health innovation, public health, and using technology to solve structural problems.
Ronak Saramya
Co-founder, CTO
Ronak leads PATH's technical development and engineering strategy, building the systems that allow PATH to understand user requests and complete tasks reliably. He is a Stanford '29 student and is committed to building people-first technology that helps users navigate, connect, and interact more intuitively. Outside of PATH, he has been involved in StanfordXR and has a background in music and rhythm through Carnatic percussion.
Joel Paul
Machine Learning Engineering Intern
Joey is a Computer Science and Applied Mathematics student at Texas A&M University focused on machine learning, neural networks, and real-world AI applications. At PATH, he works on system architecture and fine-tunes language models to improve performance, efficiency, and accuracy. He is also interested in quantitative finance and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, with a passion for pushing the boundaries of emerging technology.
Advisors
The people behind us.
Stephanie Jones
Advisor, Accessibility
Stephanie brings deep experience in accessibility technology and blind/low-vision services. She helps PATH think through user trust, center relationships, and how to build with the community rather than around it.
Kerry Lueders
Advisor, Low Vision Rehabilitation
Kerry is the Director of Low Vision Rehabilitation at Drexel and advises PATH on low-vision user needs, rehabilitation workflows, and how PATH can support real-world independence.
Michael Shebanek
Advisor, Accessibility Product Strategy
Michael is a former Apple accessibility leader and one of the creators of VoiceOver. He advises PATH on building a polished, trusted, accessibility-first product and focusing deeply on one workflow before expanding.
Kathryn Guarini
Advisor
Kathryn is the former Chief Information Officer of IBM and brings deep experience in enterprise technology, strategy, and scaling complex technical organizations. She helps PATH think through long-term product direction, technical credibility, and enterprise readiness.
Min Kim
Advisor
Min is the Director of the Yale Ventures Lab and brings experience supporting early-stage founders, venture development, and commercialization. She helps PATH think through startup execution, fundraising readiness, and turning early traction into a stronger company-building strategy.
Bhavana Mohanraj
Advisor
Bhavana is the Director of PCI and brings experience in innovation, venture support, and helping founders move from early product development toward commercialization. She helps PATH think through startup strategy, partnerships, and the systems needed to bring the product to market.
Tony Mattei
Advisor
Tony is the Director of eShip at Penn State Brandywine and brings experience supporting student founders, entrepreneurship education, and early venture development. He helps PATH think through founder growth, startup execution, and practical steps for building the company.